Dodgers ‘dodge a bullet’ with Grandal, expected to return this week

Although manager Don Mattingly initially thought Yasmani Grandal broke his jaw after watching him take a foul ball off his mask, the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher is now expected to only be out a few days.

Mattingly expects Grandal, who left the Dodgers game in the fifth inning on Sunday after being struck by a foul ball in the lower part of his catcher’s mask, to play by the end of the Dodgers’ series with the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

With A.J. Ellis, who replaced Grandal on Sunday, being placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right knee on Monday, the Dodgers only have one healthy catcher in Austin Barnes, who was called up in correspondence with Ellis’ move to the DL.

Mattingly: "I think we dodged a bullet with Yasmani." Said Grandal could play in emergency tonight, will play by end of series #Dodgers